Fans may obsess over the chemistry between Dancing With the Stars<\/i><\/a> couples, but the pros themselves are often the last to know who they\u2019ll be twirling across the ballroom.<\/p>\n From last-minute phone calls to specific requests from celebrity contestants, scroll below to read more about how DWTS<\/i> matchmaking actually works:<\/p>\n Cohost Alfonso Ribeiro<\/b> pulled back the curtain on how fluid the casting process really is, telling Us<\/i> exclusively<\/span><\/a> in September 2025 that partnerships were still being reshuffled right before the cast reveal.<\/p>\n \u201cTypically, once we have a list of the pros that are gonna be on, we then, at some point, we\u2019ll get the opportunity to hear who\u2019s gonna be [on the show]. But it\u2019s never final, right?\u201d Ribeiro explained to Us<\/i>. \u201cIt\u2019s ever-changing, and there were some pairings that were different three weeks ago.\u201d<\/p>\n He added, \u201cThings continue to evolve as new people come in, and you realize, \u2018Oh, actually, this is a better pairing than that pairing.\u2019 And they work on it right up until the final day until [the stars and pros] meet each other.\u201d<\/p>\n Ribeiro further credited show executives Deena Katz, Conrad Green<\/b> and Rob Mills<\/b> with pulling it off every time.<\/p>\n \u201cThey figure it out. I don\u2019t know how they do it, but they always figure out how to put the right people together,\u201d he stated. \u201cThey\u2019re magical.\u201d<\/p>\n Two-time mirrorball champion Jenna Johnson<\/b> confirmed on a June 2025 episode of the \u201cMorning After\u201d podcast that pros are kept almost entirely in the dark<\/span><\/a> until the season starts.<\/p>\n \u201cI think people always think we know who we have and we\u2019re keeping it a secret. Absolutely not. They do not tell us,\u201d Johnson shared. \u201cThey really don\u2019t even want us to know the cast. It gets leaked a lot, but they want it very hush, hush, until you walk in and you meet your partner.\u201d<\/p>\n Her costar Pasha Pashkov<\/b> echoed that sentiment, telling Us<\/i> in June 2025, \u201cSometimes people think that we know [the cast in advance] and we don\u2019t. We find out when everybody else finds out. A few days before you meet your celeb, that\u2019s when you know if you are on a season.\u201d<\/p>\n Sasha Farber<\/b>, for his part, found out that he\u2019d be dancing with former Bachelorette Jenn Tran <\/b>on season 33 less than one hour before catching a flight to New York City for the Good Morning America <\/i>announcement.<\/p>\n \u201cI got a call, it was early in the morning, saying, \u2018You need to get on a flight in 45 minutes.\u2019 And I was flying down to get to the airport. I didn\u2019t have a ticket,\u201d Farber told Us<\/i> in September 2024. \u201cI didn\u2019t even meet her. I see her running to security. I was like, \u2018That must Jenn, good, I need to be where she\u2019s going.’\u201d<\/p>\n While the DWTS <\/i>production usually creates partnerships based on personality compatibility or height, the stars themselves sometimes have a say. Going into season 35, Maura Higgins <\/b>and Taylor Hanson <\/b>expressed interest<\/span><\/a> in performing with Mark Ballas <\/b>and Britt Stewart<\/b>, respectively.<\/p>\n \u201cI specifically asked the show. I said, \u2018If you\u2019re gonna pair me with anyone, I would like to be paired with Britt because she represents the spirit of why this show is great and why it is 35 seasons in,’\u201d Hanson said on an October 2025 episode<\/span><\/a> of the show\u2019s companion podcast, noting his famous family approved of the pairing. \u201c[They\u2019re] like, \u2018That\u2019s your girl.’\u201d<\/p>\n While DWTS <\/i>couples are typically made up of one male and one female, there have been three same-sex pairings in the show\u2019s history. (Jenna Johnson <\/b>danced with Dance Moms<\/i> alum JoJo Siwa<\/b> in season 30, followed by Gleb Savchenko <\/b>and Shangela <\/b>in season 31. Hailey Bills <\/b>later made her pro debut in season 35 with model Sarah Jane Nader<\/b>, who requested to be on an all-female team<\/span><\/a>.)<\/p>\nThe Pairings Can Change Up Until the Cast Announcement<\/b><\/h2>\n
When Do Pro Dancers Meet Their Partners?<\/b><\/h2>\n
Specific Requests<\/b><\/h2>\n
Same-Sex Partnerships<\/b><\/h2>\n
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